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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26606452">Changes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MauveCat/pseuds/MauveCat'>MauveCat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in the Life [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Endless Summer (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Family Feels</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:28:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,226</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26606452</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MauveCat/pseuds/MauveCat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taylor begins to learn about her new body.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Estela Montoya/Main Character (Endless Summer)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in the Life [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Changes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>MARCH</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Taylor stared at the glossy brochure in her hand. She’d read it four times – or was it five? – but she couldn’t remember anything about its contents. There was a white-coated man with a stethoscope on the front of it but the only information she had retained was a vague awareness of Edenbrook Hospital’s cardiovascular department. She took a deep breath and wrinkled her nose against the lingering smell of disinfectant, wondering if all hospitals used the same kind. With a sigh, she looked at the chair beside her. Estela was staring at the ceiling, her eyes slowly moving from one corner to the other. “Estela?” There was no answer. Taylor dropped the brochure on the examination table and laid a hand on her wife’s knee, but she withdrew it immediately when Estela jerked to attention. “What’s wrong? Is there something up there?”</p>
<p>“Up...? Oh. No.” Estela looked a little embarrassed. “I... was counting the ceiling tiles.”</p>
<p>Smiling in spite of her tension, Taylor asked, “How many are there?”</p>
<p>“Fifty-six. But they had to cut the tiles on the edges to make them fit. Do you think I should try to figure out how many complete tiles there are when you combine all the fragments, or just consider them a separate category?”</p>
<p>“I think you’re as nervous as I am,” Taylor said as she took Estela’s hand. She looked around the examination room again. “They really should put a clock in here. I’ll bring it up with Michelle when she gets back.” With a sigh, she took out her phone; staring at the screen in disbelief, she muttered, “There’s no way it’s only been thirty minutes.”</p>
<p>Estela took out her own phone and looked at it. “Time probably passes differently in hospitals.”</p>
<p>Getting to her feet, Taylor walked over to the print hanging on the wall. It showed a cottage on a hillside, surrounded by purple flowers and backed by pine trees. She began rubbing her hands up and down her arms, trying to take comfort in the sensation. “I always wondered what happy trees look like. Nice house, though. I might enjoy living there. What kind of plumbing do you think a place like this would have?”</p>
<p>“Taylor....”</p>
<p>“If we’re lucky, there’s already a septic tank out back. Otherwise we’d need an outhouse. I bet that would suck, having to go out in the dark every night. Who wants to trip over a possum when you’re trying not to wet your pants?”</p>
<p>“<em>Taylor</em>.” Estela came to stand beside her. Turning her away from the wall, she pulled Taylor into her arms. “It’ll be all right, <em>mi vida. </em>Michelle will be back soon with the results of your bloodwork, and... the other tests.”</p>
<p>“The scans IRIS did, you mean.” Taylor rested her head against Estela’s shoulder for a moment before she straightened up. The scan had only taken a few minutes; After swallowing a capsule the size of a grain of rice, she’d stood with her arms above her head while a small blinking drone had circled her repeatedly, concentrating on her abdomen. Once it was finished, IRIS had signed off with a promise to analyze the results before her follow-up appointment. “What do you think is going to show up?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Michelle didn’t seem worried when she took your vitals and sent your blood to the lab yesterday. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Estela, they literally teach doctors <em>not</em> to react when they think something is off. What if –” She broke off when someone rapped on the door and pushed it open.</p>
<p>Entering the exam room, Michelle smiled at her friends. “Sorry it took so long. Dr. Ramsey was ripping a lab tech apart because he sent up the wrong report, and it would <em>not</em> have been a good idea to interrupt. But I have all your results back, and IRIS said she’d pop in whenever we’re ready for her. Why don’t you sit down while I call up the files?” With a gentle hand on her back, she steered Taylor back to her chair before sitting down next to her and opening her laptop. She propped a tablet next to it and a moment later, IRIS’s face appeared. Estela pulled a chair alongside Taylor’s and she sat down as well.</p>
<p>“Good morning, my dears.” IRIS smiled at them. “Michelle, let’s not keep Taylor in suspense. Would you like to start?”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Michelle turned her laptop a bit so Taylor and Estela could see the display. Using a stylus to point at the screen, she said, “First things first. We’re not supposed to lead off this way but this a special case. Taylor, you’re completely healthy.” Taylor closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Estela wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Indicating different figures, Michelle went on. “Your blood pressure is a little high but it’s still within the expected range. We’ll monitor that but it’s possible that you just have a bit of white-coat hypertension – it’s surprisingly common in the general population, and there’s no getting around the fact that you have a few extra reasons to be anxious about this checkup. Even aside from that, a lot of people walk into a hospital and their blood pressure shoots up. We could get you a portable monitor – if you check your pressure outside a hospital, I’m betting that we’ll get some lower readings. You already know that your blood type is O positive and it’s clean, with no sign of any disease or disorder. Your liver and kidney function are both good; same with your cholesterol. Your white cell count is at a good level too. There are no thyroid issues... I’ll cut to the chase, all right? There’s nothing to worry about in any of these results. Every single test indicates that you are an obnoxiously healthy woman in her mid-twenties.”</p>
<p>“So there’s nothing wrong with me? There’s nothing… alien?” Taylor’s voice shook a little. “You’re sure?”</p>
<p>Michelle reached over and took her hand. “As your doctor, and as your friend – yes, I’m sure. These are all results that we want to see. You can feel free to choose whatever doctor and whatever hospital you like for primary care. There’s nothing here that needs to be explained or covered up. They only thing I’d recommend is a round of booster shots, but that’s it. Are you ready for the rest of your results?”</p>
<p>Taylor glanced at IRIS’s face. “You already know what they say, don’t you? That’s what took you so long.”</p>
<p>After looking at the tablet, Michelle nodded. “Dr. Ramsey <em>was</em> yelling at someone, but I know how to dodge him. Like I said, I’m your doctor and your friend. I had to know the results before I came in here. IRIS can tell you the rest.”</p>
<p>IRIS gave her a reassuring nod, and an image of a skeleton appeared on the laptop. “The ultrasound sensor we used yesterday worked quite well and I was able to get a complete scan of your entire body. There are no signs that you’ve ever broken a bone,” she said briskly. “All the same, given your bone structure and body type, I’d recommend that you keep an eye on your calcium and vitamin D levels to reduce your risk of osteoporosis. There’s no sign that you ever had wisdom teeth, which is unusual but certainly not unheard of. I envy you. My wisdom teeth caused me so much misery.” The skeleton faded and was overlaid by a network of organs and veins. “Your internal organs are all perfectly formed, and your circulation is very good. According to your blood test, your hormone levels are what we’d expect to see. Now. I know that one of your concerns is that you haven’t had a period since your return.” The section showing Taylor’s abdomen enlarged. “I believe I know why.”</p>
<p>When IRIS paused, Taylor reached out blindly until she felt Estela’s hand enclose hers. “What’s wrong with me?”</p>
<p>“There is nothing wrong with you,” IRIS said firmly “I said that your organs were all perfectly formed, and they are. Your ovaries, however, don’t seem to be fully functional.” Taylor stared at the laptop as a small translucent organ began slowly rotating on the screen. “As I said, your hormone levels are typical of a person your age who was born genetically female, so your ovaries are operating as expected in that regard. But....” the image slowly faded away to be replaced by the previous screen full of words and numbers. “You don’t seem to have any viable eggs within your ovaries.” IRIS’s voice was gentle. “Given what we know of your origins, I think it’s possible that Vaanu either didn’t understand their function, or chose to do without them for some other reason. You told me that you occasionally occupied a male body during your cycle of rebirths; in all probability, those male forms would have experienced a similar condition.”</p>
<p>“They would have been sterile. I’m sterile.” Taylor’s voice sounded strange and distant in her own ears, and she dimly felt pressure as Estela gripped her hand tightly. She tried to steady herself. “But that’s the only thing wrong with me?”</p>
<p>Michelle squeezed her other hand. “IRIS said it best – there’s nothing wrong with you. There’s an incredible range of variation in what a typical human body looks like and how it works. ‘Normal’ is an illusion.”</p>
<p>Taylor closed her eyes for a moment. Then, trying to sound businesslike, she said, “I suppose you’ll put this in my medical history.”</p>
<p>With one final squeeze, Michelle released her hand and sat back a little. “Since your ovaries aren’t releasing eggs, there’s probably no hormonal signal to trigger a period. We’ll call it idiopathic primary amenorrhea. That’s just a fancy way of saying that you never started menstruating. Since your hormone levels are within an expected range, we’ll put down that the condition was diagnosed when you were… let’s say you were fourteen and you reached puberty but hadn’t had a period yet. And because no structural issues were found and everything else is functioning as expected, it would have been labeled ‘idiopathic.’ That’s what doctors say when we don’t know what’s causing something but we still want to sound smart.”</p>
<p>“Careful. Don’t give away too many trade secrets.” Taylor managed a tiny smile for Michelle. Then, taking a deep breath, she turned to Estela. Seeing the stricken expression on her wife’s face, she said, “I’m all right, really. It’s just… unexpected.” Finally, she looked at the tablet. “IRIS… thank you. It’s good to know.”</p>
<p>“I understand. But if you’d like to talk once you’ve had a chance to process this new information, call me. I’ll be available if you have any questions.” With a sad smile, IRIS’s tablet went dark and Taylor closed her eyes for a moment. When IRIS had still been Imogen Rourke, she had struggled with infertility. If anyone would understand, she would.</p>
<p>After a few moments, Taylor felt composed enough to ask Michelle, “Is that enough to build a medical history for me?”</p>
<p>Michelle nodded, professional once again. “It’s more than enough. I’ll pull Zahra in to assist us with this – she has a knack for making things sound plausible. She can help us figure out what hospitals you would have gone to in the past. We’ll give you a couple of bouts of strep throat and bronchitis, a few assorted sprains, and maybe a bladder infection or an experience with poison ivy or something else slightly embarrassing, just so your records aren’t too bare.”</p>
<p>Taylor smiled again, with less effort this time. “I love having competent friends.” Releasing Estela’s hand, she said, “Is there anything else we should talk about, or can we get going?”</p>
<p>Michelle made a quick note on her laptop before closing it. “I’m setting up an appointment so you can get those booster shots, but that’s it. Just remember to stop by the desk on your way out and they’ll confirm a time for you. I’ll be happy to take care of it if you want, but any available doctor can do it. In fact, it might be good practice for you to see another doctor.” Tucking her laptop and tablet under her arm, she stood up with Taylor and Estela. “We’re still on for dinner, right?”</p>
<p>“You bet. I’m looking forward to it.”</p>
<p>Michelle hugged them both. “Wonderful! My shift ends at seven and my place is about a half hour commute from here, so show up any time after that. Unless you’d like something different, I’ll order in from this Thai place down the block from me.” As she opened the door, she added, “No one will need this room for a while, so you don’t need to rush out. Just leave the door open when you leave.” With a final smile, she closed the door behind her.</p>
<p>When they were alone, Taylor sat down slowly. “Well. That’s… well.”</p>
<p>Taking the chair next to her again, Estela brushed her hair back. “Are you all right?”</p>
<p>Taylor nodded. “I’m… not sure how I feel about this. I suppose it’s good that most of my body is working all right. In the long run, it’s better to have – I don’t know, two working kidneys. Right?”</p>
<p>“Kidneys are good,” Estela murmured.</p>
<p>“They are, aren’t they?” Taylor stood up and squared her shoulders. “Right. So that’s… what it is.” Before Estela could say anything, she pulled out her phone and opened up a map. “We have a few hours to kill. Do you want to head back to the hotel right away? If not, it looks like there’s all kinds of things to do in this neighborhood. We could grab some lunch and see what we can find.”</p>
<p>“I’d like to explore the city with you,” Estela said as she brushed a kiss against Taylor’s forehead.</p>
<p>“Or we could do a little shopping.” Taylor slipped her phone in her pocket. “If we’re going to Zahra’s gig tomorrow, should we dress to blend in? Maybe the club has a dress code… no, I can’t see Zahra playing somewhere with a dress code, can you? Let’s talk about it in the elevator. Maybe we should give her a call?” Without giving Estela a chance to answer, she pulled their coats off the hooks on the wall and turned to open the door. Her hand was trembling just a little as she opened it; if Estela noticed, she didn’t say anything.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Cautiously entering the club, Estela looked around at the throng of people already inside. “According to Craig’s text this is the right place. He says he’s here already,” she said over her shoulder, “but I don’t see – “</p>
<p>“Hey! HEY!” On the other side of the room, Craig stood on top of something and waved an arm wildly in the air. “Tay! ‘Stela! Over here!”</p>
<p>“You were saying?” Taylor and Estela pushed their way through the crowd until they reached the bar. The air was thick with conversation and the smell of beer and bodies, and Taylor could faintly hear the occasional twang or drumbeat as the band got ready on the stage at the end of the room. “I think the bartender would appreciate it if you didn’t stand on the furniture, Craig.”</p>
<p>“Yep. He would,” the man behind the bar said patiently.</p>
<p>Craig beamed as he hopped down and pulled Estela and Taylor into a massive hug. “Todd doesn’t mind because I’m an amazing guy, and because Z brings in a ton of customers, and –”</p>
<p>“And because you’re going to tip really well tonight. Right?” The bartender tossed a towel over his shoulder and walked away.</p>
<p>“Don’t I always?” Craig called to him. With a grin, he turned back to his friends. “I’m glad you’re early. Don’t tell her I said so, but Z’s really nervous about playing for you guys for the first time.”</p>
<p>Estela looked at him, confused. “What do you mean? I’ve heard her play before.”</p>
<p>“And I’ve listened to the songs she sent me – she’s really good,” Taylor added.</p>
<p>Craig shrugged. “That’s not the same, according to her. Performing is a lot different than recording, or plunking away on her guitar while she’s talking about something else. She always gets tied up in knots before a show – once she’s up there, though, some kinda switch gets flipped and it’s like there’s nowhere she’d rather be.” He grinned with pride. “She’s amazing.”</p>
<p>“I can believe that. She sent me a text last week – is what she said about Langenfelt true?”</p>
<p>Taylor looked between Craig and Estela, confused. “Who?”</p>
<p>Craig drained the last of his beer. “That Rourke fangirl we told you about, remember? Yeah, Z’s been monitoring her. She hasn’t tried to approach any of us since Michelle faced her down – well, at least not that we noticed – and she’s actually signed up with a therapist.”</p>
<p>“Even if she doesn’t stick with it, I suppose that’s a good – “ Estela jumped a little as her phone buzzed. After looking at the screen, she gave Taylor and Craig an apologetic shrug. “It’s from Brazil. Rourke International is just about ready to start work on a reforestation program in the Amazon basin and there are a few final details we need to sort out. Do you mind if I find a quiet corner...?” She grimaced as she looked around the crowded club. “Or maybe I should step outside for a few minutes.”</p>
<p>“Go.” Taylor leaned over and kissed her cheek. “It’ll give me and Craig a chance to catch up.” As Estela slipped away, she looked around the room. “Are Zahra’s gigs always so crowded?”</p>
<p>“You bet! Sometimes more. They barely have to hustle for gigs any more – wherever they play is guaranteed to sell out. This is still up in the air, but a couple of labels want to sign the band and they’re getting into a bidding war. The band’s looking at big bucks, but Z says they should just flip a coin to decide before both labels lose interest. You want a beer?” At Taylor’s nod, Craig lifted his empty bottle in the air and held up two fingers; within a minute, there were two bottles in front of them.</p>
<p>Taylor laughed. “Now <em>that’s</em> service.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t joking about being a good tipper. As long as you guys are gonna be in Boston for a while, how about I show you my office sometime this week? I can get you all kinds of sweet video game swag.”</p>
<p>“I’d love that.”</p>
<p>“Great! We have a couple new games coming out, and it sure wouldn’t hurt to have a cute blonde walking around in one of our t-shirts.”</p>
<p>Taylor raised an eyebrow at him. “What if someone calls me a fake gamer girl?”</p>
<p>Craig gestured dismissively and said, “Nah, that ain’t gonna happen because my company’s got a reputation for having lots of women on staff and most of our fans are on board with that – anyone who recognizes our logo isn’t about to start any gatekeeping shit with you. And even if they do, I’ve seen the way you can take someone down. So how did your checkup go?” he asked casually. Taylor thought she didn’t react, but judging by Craig’s reaction, she failed. His eyes widened in alarm. “Taylor? You’re okay, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine, really.” She stared at her beer bottle. “Everything looks good. It’s just....” As she searched for a way to deflect, she startled herself by blurting, “The only thing wrong is that it doesn’t look like I can have children.”</p>
<p>“Aw, hell.” Craig’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Tay.” When Taylor didn’t respond, he stepped a little closer and lowered his voice. “Are <em>you</em>... you know, sorry?”</p>
<p>“Honestly?” Taylor sighed. “I’m not sure. I never even thought about having kids but it’s still kind of a weird feeling, knowing that it’s not going to happen.”</p>
<p>“Well, maybe it’s not gonna happen like <em>that</em>. But, you know, um... I don’t know if you ever got The Talk, but you and Estela... well, if the two of you want kids you’ll have to go through a few extra steps no matter what, right? Unless you got some weird alien anatomy thing going on, neither of you is gonna get pregnant by accident.”</p>
<p>Taylor almost choked on a sip of beer. When she could breathe, she said, “That’s... a good point.” She looked up at Craig and, a little awkwardly, asked, “How about you and Zahra? Have you talked about it?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” He shrugged. “I mean, it seemed like the thing a couple of adults <em>should</em> talk about, so we did, and we decided that we weren’t gonna be ready for that anytime soon. And Z says that she doesn’t wanna get pregnant, so we’d look into adopting down the road if we decide we want kids. She was using an IUD at first but I decided it’d be just as easy to get myself snipped.” With a grin, he said, “Walked around with an icepack on my junk for a while, but it’s one less thing to worry about. I didn’t want to make this whole contraception thing something that’s mostly her responsibility”</p>
<p>“That’s a good point.” Taylor looked up at him fondly. “But whenever or however or if it happens, you’d be a great dad.”</p>
<p>“You too. Well, a great mom. Whatever. Hey, Z!”</p>
<p>“Hey.” Zahra barely looked at Craig as she walked up. Carefully passing an electric guitar to him, she said, “Keep an eye on Earl for me, wouldya? I need Taylor for a minute.”</p>
<p>Taylor blinked. “Sure, what do you – oh. See you soon?” she called to Craig as Zahra tucked a hand under her arm and expertly guided her through the crowd.</p>
<p>Zahra pointed at the stage as they passed it. “That’s the band. Bridget, Alex, LeJon, and Ed. We’ll have a drink with them after our first set. Let’s go in the dressing room.” Closing the door behind them, she shrugged off her oversized denim jacket – probably one of Craig’s, Taylor guessed – and took a crumpled piece of paper out of its pocket. “I’m gonna finish my tattoo and I wanted – I mean, before I decide on a final design, I thought you should... oh, fuck it.” She shook her head in frustration and yanked off her tank top. She turned around and showed Taylor her naked back. “What do you think?” she asked nervously. “It, uh... it starts here.” She pointed behind her right ear.</p>
<p>Taylor took a step closer. There were other tattoos on Zahra’s arms that she’d seen before, but she ignored them in favor of the markings crossing her friend’s back. First was a black bird in flight where Zahra had pointed, right next to a bear standing on its hind legs. Next came a grinning centaur with a platter of food in its arms, and a dolphin leaping out of the water. A howling wolf was inked below them. After the wolf, a snake curled around a swan gracefully arching its neck. A peacock and an eagle circled each other, and a bespectacled dog sat with a pile of books on top of a surfboard.</p>
<p>And finally, below Zahra’s left shoulder blade, a dragon swooped out of a cloud of fire. Its feathered wings were stretched out, reaching toward a nest of multicolored flames beneath it. The space above the fire was empty. Taylor swallowed hard. “Zahra... it’s us?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Maybe it’s stupid, but… I wanted to keep all of you close somehow. Tattoos stick around, you know? You can’t lose them unless shit really hits the fan.” Pulling her top back on, Zahra unfolded the piece of paper. She smoothed out the creases and said, “This is just an idea, okay? I know I can’t draw for shit but Hakim is one of the best tattoo guys in Boston and he can turn this into something. If you hate it, I’ll think of something else. Or if you <em>really</em> hate it, I can leave that spot blank if you want. Whatever.” She shoved the paper into Taylor’s hand and picked up her jacket.</p>
<p>Blinking back tears, Taylor looked at the drawing. It was crudely done, but she could easily tell what it was. A woman stood with her arms stretched to the sky, reaching for the dragon. Broken chains lay scattered at the figure’s feet. She reached blindly for Zahra and wrapped her arms tightly around her friend. “I love it. It’s perfect.” She buried her face against Zahra’s neck.</p>
<p>“Geez, what is it with this group and your damn hugs?” But Zahra returned Taylor’s embrace with equal strength. “So it’s okay with you?”</p>
<p>“It’s definitely okay.” Sniffing, Taylor pulled away and looked at the drawing again. Folding the paper with care, she gave it back to Zahra. “I want to see it as soon as it’s done.”</p>
<p>“Sure. It shouldn’t take – I’m coming, damn it!” Zahra shouted when someone pounded on the door. Rolling her eyes, she said, “Come on, I’ll grab Earl and get this thing started.”</p>
<p>“Who’s Earl?” Taylor asked as she followed Zahra back into the club.</p>
<p>Looking back at her, Zahra said, “My guitar. Well, my main guitar. I’ve got others now but I’ve had Earl since before La Huerta. I always start off shows with him.”</p>
<p>Taylor grinned. “I can’t wait to hear him.” She and Zahra reached the bar; Craig was standing with the guitar cradled protectively in his arms, and Estela was leaning against the bar next to him. Taking a spot next to her wife, she asked, “So do we watch the show from here?”</p>
<p>“Nope,” Craig said as he gave Zahra her guitar and a smacking kiss. “I asked security to save us a spot up front so you can see my chick in all her glory.”</p>
<p>“No pressure, though, right?” Zahra gave them all a tight nod. “Okay, let’s go.” She turned on her heel and waded into the crowd.</p>
<p>Flinging his arms around Taylor and Estela, Craig urged them to follow in her wake. “You heard Player One. Let’s go!”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Rolling over, Estela stretched out her arm. Her eyes flew open when she didn’t feel Taylor next to her in the bed. She shot up in alarm and looked around the hotel room; she barely relaxed when she saw Taylor silhouetted against the window. “Taylor? What’s wrong?” Taylor didn’t answer, and Estela eased herself out of the bed. “Are you all right?” she asked as she grabbed her robe, switched on a light and crossed the room.</p>
<p>“I guess so. I was almost asleep when everything kind of started circling around in my head.” Taylor looked away from the night sky, but only for a moment. “I suppose part of it is from my appointment the other day and hearing Michelle and IRIS talk about blood pressure and osteoporosis and things like that. It’s kind of a harsh reminder that I’m not star-stuff anymore – I have a regular squishy human body with all kinds of moving parts that are going to start breaking down at some point. And as for the rest of it… well, I suppose it was bound to happen,” she murmured.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Estela put an arm around her. “What was bound to happen?”</p>
<p>“Running into a roadblock.” Taylor sighed. “I’m so lucky to be here. It was such a long shot, calling me back home with the crystals. But against all the odds, it worked. I’m back. I’ve got you, and we’ve got our family, and we’re all safe and happy. That’s so much more than I had any right to expect. It feels downright ungrateful to wish for anything else.” Almost to herself, she added, “I’m not even sure what I’m wishing for. I never even thought about whether or not I wanted a child anyway. I don’t know why it hurts so much to know that I can’t have one.”</p>
<p>“Oh, <em>querida.</em> Come on.” Estela urged Taylor back to the bed. When they were settled beneath the covers again, she wrapped Taylor in an embrace and began gently rubbing her back. “I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>“I know.” With a sigh, Taylor curled into Estela’s arms. “I’m really a genuine human being now, right? And... I suppose being disappointed is part of that. No one gets everything they want.” She rested her head on Estela’s shoulder. Hesitantly, she asked, “Estela... do <em>you</em> want children?”</p>
<p>Estela’s hand stilled on Taylor’s back. “I’ve thought about it. While you were... away, I began wondering what it would have been like, raising a family with you. And now that you’re here, now that you’re with me for good, I’ve sort of started wondering about it again.”</p>
<p>“The baby wouldn’t be mine, though –”</p>
<p>“<em>Taylor.</em>” Sitting back, Estela grasped Taylor’s shoulders. Fiercely, she said, “If we decide to do this, any child we raise will be <em>ours.</em> Just... just look at my brother. Aleister doesn’t have any of Imogen Rourke’s DNA in him, but do think IRIS doesn’t consider herself his mother? Do you think he doesn’t mean it when he calls himself her son? And are you brave enough to tell Seraxa that Taari isn’t really <em>her</em> son just because she didn’t give birth to him?”</p>
<p>“No one is that brave,” Taylor replied with a faint smile. After a moment, she went on uncertainly, “So... you <em>have</em> been thinking about it?”</p>
<p>Easing the two of them back to rest against the headboard, Estela nodded. “Honestly? Yes, but just in a hazy, maybe someday way. I didn’t pick up one of the IVF brochures they had at Edenbrook or anything.”</p>
<p>“But you noticed that they had brochures.”</p>
<p>“...Yes. I noticed them.”</p>
<p>Taylor nodded slowly. “Well, Craig pointed out that if we <em>do</em> decide on a family, we’d need some kind of outside assistance no matter what.”</p>
<p>“That’s true... wait. You talked to <em>Craig</em> about this? How did I miss that?”</p>
<p>“It was back at the club, while you were taking your phone call.” Laughing a little, Taylor said, “He was surprisingly helpful.”</p>
<p>“I’ve noticed that about him – oh, what now?” Estela looked over at her phone as it began ringing. She glanced at the screen. “It’s Aleister. Should I let it go to voicemail?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think – no. What time is it in London?” Taylor sat up a little straighter. “They’re what, five hours ahead of us?”</p>
<p>Estela’s face grew more serious. “That would make it eight o’clock in the morning there, and he must know it’s the middle of the night for us. He’s not just calling to chat.” Accepting the call, she said, “Aleister, I’m putting you on speaker – Taylor’s here too.”</p>
<p>“Good morning – well, technically morning for you two, I suppose. I apologize for disturbing you at this hour.” Aleister’s voice was tight.</p>
<p>Leaning toward the phone, Taylor said, “It’s fine, we were both awake. What’s wrong? Are Grace and Reggie all right?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes, they’re fine. But I received a message from my mother, and I wanted to let all of you know what happened. I know it’s early but I thought I’d start with you two first. There’s simply too much to cover by text.” He paused. “You know that Mother has been monitoring the dispute between the pirate museum in Florida and the Malatesta house in London?”</p>
<p>“Is this about the false crystal?” Estela asked.</p>
<p>“Indirectly, yes,” Aleister replied. “Or perhaps it’s directly about the crystal. We have no way of knowing. I’m being confusing, aren’t I? Let me start over. There was a break-in at the Florida site several hours ago – many of their artifacts were stolen. That includes almost all of the pieces retrieved from the wreck of the Dorado. The coins, the jewels, the pearls... and the crystal.”</p>
<p>Taylor hesitated. “Do you think it could have been Lundgren?” She felt Estela’s body tense next to hers.</p>
<p>“We don’t know. All the thieves wore masks and gloves. Mother has gone into the security systems for the museum and the surrounding area and she sent me copies of what the various cameras saw. There were five thieves and one driver, as far as the footage shows at least. Two of the suspects are very large men and either could, theoretically, have been Rex Lundgren. There’s no way to be sure.”</p>
<p>“So there’s no proof that Lundgren is involved.” But Taylor knew she didn’t sound convinced.</p>
<p>“There’s no solid proof, no. All the same, it’s a strong possibility.” Aleister’s voice was grim.</p>
<p>Estela was quiet for a few moments. “It’s not impossible for Lundgren to have gotten into the States. If he got money from somewhere – either from a job, or from something illegal, which is probably more likely – anyway, it’s not hard to get false travel documents. You don’t need to be as good as Zahra to come up with something convincing. Even without a fake ID, he could have made an illegal border crossing. And if he waved some money around, there are always people willing to get in on a big score.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Aleister’s worry was clear in his voice. “Even if he doesn’t have a private army anymore, he wouldn’t be working alone for long.”</p>
<p>“We don’t know for sure he was involved, though,” Estela said reluctantly. “And how would he know about the museum, anyway?”</p>
<p>“It’s been several months since he crossed over from his reality. If he’s had time to reach the United States, he’s certainly had time to keep an eye on the media and find out how things stand in our world and how it differs from the one he came from. It hasn’t been a major news story by any means, but there has been recurring coverage of the recovery of Malatesta’s ship.”</p>
<p>When Aleister fell silent, Estela said, “And at least a few of those stories mentioned La Huerta as the site of one of Malatesta’s possible bases. That definitely would have caught Lundgren’s attention.”</p>
<p>“Yes. The man is a monstrous boor, but he isn’t stupid by any means. If he saw a picture of the crystal, he would have recognized immediately that it wasn’t an emerald. I plan on alerting the others as soon as we finish here – I’m not sure what precautions we can, or should, take, though.” Aleister paused before going on. “Mother is working out a way to persuade Father’s prison to increase its security measures, just in case. He hasn’t had a visitor for years, aside from his legal team, but we can’t take any chances.”</p>
<p>“I agree.” Estela rubbed her forehead. “Thank you for letting us know. Since Taylor and I are in Boston, we can tell Michelle, Craig, and Zahra. Would you mind contacting the others? I know that Quinn is on the road this week for her foundation, and Sean is visiting his mother’s relatives in Florida. I agree, this isn’t something we should do by text.”</p>
<p>“And I’ll call Diego,” Taylor chimed in. “I know Varyyn is anxious about Lundgren too.”</p>
<p>“Excellent. It’s only a few hours until sunrise where you are – I suppose we might as well wait a little while to start making calls. I’ll make sure that Mother sends copies of the security tapes to Zahra – to all of you, actually. Again, I’m not saying that we should panic. We have far too little information to know whether there’s an actual threat or not.”</p>
<p>Estela nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Give our love to Grace and Reggie, and we’ll talk soon.” Ending the call, she looked over at Taylor, her forehead creased. “We don’t know that it’s Lundgren,” she murmured.</p>
<p>“No.” Taylor took Estela’s hand and squeezed it. “We don’t know.” With a sigh, she released her wife’s hand and got out of bed. “I’m glad this room has a coffee maker. We’re not going to get any more sleep tonight.”</p>
<p>“You’re right.” Reluctantly, Estela followed Taylor to the other side of the room. As she began sorting through the assortment of coffee pods, she frowned. “I only wish we had some way to find out right away if it <em>was </em>Lundgren. At least then we’d be able to form some kind of plan.”</p>
<p>Taylor wrapped her arms around Estela. “How about this for a plan: we stick together, we take care of each other, and God help anyone who thinks they can go up against us.”</p>
<p>With a slight laugh, Estela rested her forehead against Taylor’s. “You haven’t lost your knack for pep talks.”</p>
<p>“Damn right. Now fix me some coffee, wife.” But as she walked to the bed to grab her robe, Taylor’s smile slipped away. After her return to her human body, she’d dared to hope that her life was going to be easy, that she and Estela could lead a peaceful, untroubled life. She’d been wrong. Nothing in her life was ever going to be easy.</p>
<p>“Here’s some hazelnut,” Estela said over her shoulder. “How does that sound?”</p>
<p>Taylor drew in a deep breath and released it. “That sounds wonderful.” Easy or not, she’d have to get through it moment by moment... just like every other human being.<br/><br/></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves.</em><br/>― Anatole France, The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard</p>
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